William e



(No Model.)

- W. EQ DELEHANTY. ALE TAP. N0. 549,845. I Patented NOV. 12, 1895.

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VILLIAM E. DELEHANTY, OF NEV'V YORK, N. Y.

ALE-TAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,845, dated November12, 1895.

Application filed March 25, 1895. Serial No. 543,042. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, countyand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ale-Taps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved ale-tap.

The drawing shows a vertical sectional view of the plug and its partsand a similar view of the lower end of the tap, the upper portionthereof being shown in side elevation.

The plug 1 is externally threaded, as shown at 2, in order that it maybe screwed or attached in an opening in the beer keg or barrel, and itslower or inner end is preferably rounded or conical, as shown at 3, andhas perforations forming a sieve, through which the beer is strained asit enters the chamber in the conical end.

this partition the inner walls of the plug are threaded for apredetermined distance, and

above this threading on one side of the inner wall is arecess 6. Theinner walls of the plug above this opening (3 are preferably plain untilnear the top,where they are again threaded. In the plug 1 is the valve22 and the valve stem 9, the stem having an annular threaded offset atits lower end, the threads thereon being arranged to mesh with thelowermost threading on the interior walls of the plug. In the annularrecess surrounding the reduced portion of the stem 9 is a removable Theplug 1 has a floor or partition 4, having an opening 5, and abovespring-plunger 16 will slide over them when Be it known that LWVILLIAME. DELEHANTY,

the tap is turned so as to. turn the valve-stem 9 out of the plug 1, butso it will catch and hold fast between some two of them when the tap isturned in the direction to remove it from the stem or to force the stemdowmward and close the valve. The tap portion consists of a tube 14,having its lower end threaded and arranged to mesh with interiorthreading in the upper end of the valve-stem 9, and in tube 14 is arevoluble tube 19, having an annular channel, in which the inner end ofthe set-screw 23 rests, allowing the tube 19 to rotate freely in tube14, but preventing it from being withdrawn therefrom. On the lower endof tube 19 is packing 21, arranged to form a liquid-tight joint with itsseat, as shown. Tube 14 has handles 18, whereby it may be rotated andentered and taken from the end of thevalve-stem 9. On the side of casing'14 is a tube 15, containing a spring and a plunger 16, actuatedthereby, and having a finger-piece 17, whereby the spring-plunger israised. On valve-stem 9 is a pin 24, (shown by the dotted circle,) whichstrikes against offset 8 on ring 7 as the valve 22 and the valvestem 9are raised, preventing the valve and stem from rising beyond apredetermined distance.

The operation is as follows: The plug 1, with the valve 22 and stem 9,ring 7, packing 11, and gland 12, form the plug portion ofthe device andare attached to the keg or barrel by turning plug 1 into an openingtherein or in one of its heads, and always remains with the keg. The tapportion is left in the saloon or other place where it is desired to drawthe contents of the keg and'is attached to one end of thedelivery-pipes. The keg being in position for drawing off its contents,the tap is screwed into the threaded opening in the upper or outer endof the valve-stem 9, and as it comes to a bearing spring-plunger 16slides over the teeth 13 or their equivalents, and finally rests betweensome two of the teeth. The tap is now further turned in the samedirection, which turns the valve-stem 9 with it, raising the valve 22off its seat and until pin or stop 24 strikes against offset 8 on ring7. The valve 22 will now be open, and the contents of the keg will flowthrough the strainer, past valve 22, through ports 10, which are formedin and through the valve-stem 9 and lead into the chamber 20, which ispreferably triangular in shape, and from thence into tube 19 and throughthe delivery-pipes. \Vhen the contents of the keg are exhausted, the tapportion is turned oppositely, when springplunger 16 holds fast to theteeth 13 or their equivalents and compels the valve-stem 9 to turndownward until valve 22 is well seated, when finger-piece 17 is raised,releasing the plunger 14) and allowing the tap to unscrew and beseparated from the plug portion.

"articular attention is called to the fact that plunger 16 may beomitted, if desired, and my device will work well without it, as whenthe tap is turned into the valve-stem 9 and comes to a bearing andraises the valvestem until pin 2i strikes offset 8 the stem can rise nofarther, nor farther turn or rotate, and if the tap is then furtherstrongly turned upon the threading will jam quite fast, so that when thetap is turned opp0- sitely, so as to turn the valvc-stem 9 down and seatthe valve 22, there will be sufficient hold to the threading to seat thevalve tightly; but I have made use of the springplunger 16 in order toprovide against any wear to the threading, which wear might, after longuse, cause the threading to not jam; fast enough to operate in seatingthe valve; 22; but I do not make use of the plunger 10,} therebyintending toconveythe idea that it is necessary to the proper workingofmy de vice, but I have used it as a precaution against any excessivewear tothe threading. The triangular chamber 20 is anade triangu larso-that when the tap is removed atriangular key may be inserted and thevalve 22 be raised orvopened or closed more tightly? without the use ofthe tap, as may be desired. l \Vhat I elaimisl 1. An ale or beer tapconsisting of a charm bered internally threaded plug arranged tobesecurely fastened in an opening in a keg or barrel, and having anopening leading into the chamber-tin the plug that the contents of thekeg may flow into said chamber, and having a chambered internallythreaded valve stem carrying a valve in the chamberin the plug, arrangedto be movedand open or close, the valve at will, and having portsleading from the chamber in the plug .to thatin the valve stem, andhaving an externally threaded tubular tap, the threads of whichmesh withthe threads on the interior of the chamberin the stem, and an outletpipe passingthrough the tubular tap arranged to form a tight joint withthe chamber in the valve stem and forming an outlet f or said chamber,the valve stem being also externally threaded, said threads meshing withthe threads on the wall of the chamber inthe plug and arranged so thaton turning the tap to a bearing in the chamber in the stem andcontinuing to turn the tap the valve will rise and open, and on turningthe tap in the opposite direction the valve will fall and close and oncontinuing to turn. the tap, the tap with the exit pipe will be removedfrom the chamber in the valve stem substantially as described.

2. An ale or beer tap consisting of a chambered internally threaded plugarranged. to

be fastened in an opening in a keg or barrel, andhavin g an openingleading into the chamber in the plug, and having a chambered internallythreaded valve stem carrying a valve in said chamber in the plug,arranged to move and open and close the valve at will, and having portsleading from the chamber in the plug to that in the valve stem, andhaving an externally threaded tubular tap, the threads of which meshwith the threads on the interior of the chamber in the stem, and anoutlet pipe passing through the tubular tap arranged to form a tightjoint with the chamber in the valve stem and forming an outlet for saidchamber, the valve stem being externally threaded, said threads meshingwith the threads on the wall of the chamber in the plug and having astop device in connection with the valve stem arranged so that when thevalve stem rises the stop device will prevent the valve stem jammingfast substantiall y as described.

53. An ale or beer tap consisting of a charm bered internally threadedplug arranged to be securely fastened in an opening in. a keg or barrel,and having an opening leadinginto the chamber in theplug, and having aninternally threaded chambered valve stem earryin g a valve in thechamber in theplug,arrangedto beimoved andropen and close the valve atwill, and having zports leading from the chamber in the plug to that inthe valve stem, and having a tubular tap and a tube passing throughthetap arranged to form a tight joint with the chamber in the valve stemand forming an outlet for said chamber, the valve stem being arranged sothat on bringing the tap to a bearing in the chamber in the stem andcontinuing to turn the tap the valve will rise andlopen, and on turningthe tap in the opposite direction the valve will. fall and close and thetap with the exit pipe be removed from the chamber vin the valve stem,and having ratchet teeth ortheir equivalents on the exposed portion ofthe valve stem and a catch arranged to catch therein and holdfast whenthe tap is turned in the direction to remove it from the valve stem andto be released from said teeth at will, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM E. DETJEI l'ANTY. *itnesses:

JOHN J. MURRAY, JAMES J. MCGRATI-I.

